Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts, Their Afterglows, and Their Host Galaxies

Models of gamma ray bursts are reviewed in the light of recent observations of afterglows which point towards a cosmological origin. The physics of fireball shock models is discussed, with attention to the type of light histories and spectra during the gamma-ray phase. The evolution of the remnants and their afterglows is considered, as well as their implications for our current understanding of the mechanisms giving rise to the bursts.

Observations of a long-lasting Gamma-ray burst, one that has the brightest optical counterpart yet discovered, challenge theoretical understanding of these bursts but may enhance their usefulness as cosmic probes.

The successful discovery of X-ray, optical and radio afterglows of GRB has made possible the identification of host galaxies at cosmological distances. The energy release inferred in these outbursts place them among the most energetic and violent events in the Universe. They are thought to be the outcome of a cataclysmic stellar collapse or compact stellar merger, leading to a relativistically expanding fireball, in which particles are accelerated at shocks and produce nonthe...

Gamma-ray bursts are transient events from beyond the solar system. Besides the allure of their mysterious origin, bursts are physically fascinating because they undoubtedly require exotic physics. Optical transients coincident with burst positions show that some, and probably all, bursts originate at cosmological distances, and not from a large Galactic halo. Observations of these events' spectral and temporal behavior will guide and constrain the study of the physical proce...

In this paper we review the story of the BeppoSAX discovery of the Gamma Ray Burst afterglow and their cosmological distance, starting from their first detection with Vela satellites and from the efforts done before BeppoSAX. We also discuss the consequences of the BeppoSAX discovery, the issues left open by BeppoSAX, the progress done up to now and its perspectives.

The cosmological gamma-ray burst (GRB) phenomenon is reviewed. The broad observational facts and empirical phenomenological relations of the GRB prompt emission and afterglow are outlined. A well-tested, successful fireball shock model is introduced in a pedagogical manner. Several important uncertainties in the current understanding of the phenomenon are reviewed, and prospects of how future experiments and extensive observational and theoretical efforts may address these pr...

The gamma ray burst phenomenon is reviewed from a theoretical point of view, with emphasis on the fireball shock scenario of the prompt emission and the longer wavelenght afterglow. Recent progress and issues are discussed, including spectral-temporal evolution, localizations, jets, spectral lines, environmental and cosmological aspects, as well as some prospects for future experiments in both electromagnetic and non-electromagnetic channels.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are bright flashes of gamma-rays coming from the cosmos. They occur roughly once per day, last typically 10s of seconds and are the most luminous events in the universe. More than three decades after their discovery, and after pioneering advances from space and ground experiments, they still remain mysterious. The launch of the Swift and Fermi satellites in 2004 and 2008 brought in a trove of qualitatively new data. In this review we survey the interpl...

Despite a rich diversity in observational properties, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can be divided into two broad categories based on their duration and spectral hardness -- the long-soft and the short-hard GRBs. The discovery of afterglows from long GRBs in 1997, and their localization to arcsecond accuracy, was a watershed event. The ensuing decade of intense study led to the realization that long-soft GRBs are located in star forming galaxies, produce about 10^51 erg in collimat...

Although they were discovered more than 25 years ago, gamma-ray bursts are still a mystery. Even their characteristic distance is highly uncertain. All that we can be confident about is that they involve compact objects and relativistic plasma. Current ideas and prospects are briefly reviewed. There are, fortunately, several feasible types of observation that could soon clarify the issues.